A problem that commonly arises in caring for a patient in a hospital bed is that the patient often needs to be repositioned in the bed, and requires assistance for that purpose. The conventional hospital bed is provided with a head end portion that can be selectively raised or lowered. It is very convenient for the patient to have the head end of the bed raised when he wishes to eat, to read, or just to look around. Unfortunately, however, the raised position of the bed usually causes the patient to slide downward so that his feet come too close to the foot end of the bed. It then becomes necessary to reposition the patient in the opposite direction.
Depending upon the nature of his illness or disability, it often happens that the patient may not have sufficient strength and agility to reposition himself when the need arises. This is particularly true if he is suffering from a stroke or other crippling disease. It then generally requires two nurses or hospital assistants to reposition the patient.
Alternatively, the prior art has shown rather complex apparatus that may be used to assist in repositioning a bed patient. By utilizing such apparatus it may be possible for a single nurse or assistant to accomplish the result. However, the prior art apparatus has been expensive and complicated, as well as unattractive in appearance, and hence so far as known to the present applicant none of the types of apparatus shown in the prior art patents have come into popular usage.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for repositioning a bed patient, which are very simple and also very economical, but yet effective.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for repositioning a bed patient which can be accomplished by a single nurse or attendant.